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Relatives say slain woman was pregnant; no details released on suspects
| Friday, Apr 20 2007 10:40 PM
Last Updated: Friday, Apr 20 2007 10:43 PM
The woman killed in a shooting in southeast Bakersfield Thursday evening was several months pregnant, according to family members.
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Vanessa Alcala, 19, and James Oliver Wallace, 21, both died in the shooting, which happened in front of 1313 McNew Court. Alcala was four months pregnant, said Jennifer Corral, a cousin.
Alcala, who was shot in the head, also has a 3-year-old son, Corral said.
A third person injured in the shooting, Anthony Lions, was treated at Kern Medical Center and released early Friday, according to nursing staff.
Kern County sheriff's Sgt. Ed Komin said detectives are examining a Chevy Blazer that someone used to take Alcala to KMC and then left in the hospital parking lot. Detectives are trying to find the driver of the vehicle.
Some family members said Alcala was 20 years old, not 19, but the Kern County coroner's office had her date of birth listed as May 25, 1987. An autopsy has been scheduled for Monday, so coroner's officials could not yet say whether Alcala was pregnant.
The shooting happened about 8 p.m., according to Komin. Wallace was found dead in an apartment complex, and Alcala died at 12:30 a.m. Friday at Kern Medical Center, Komin said.
McNew Court was relatively deserted Friday afternoon. There were dark stains on the front step of 1313 B McNew Court, and some strands of police tape were in the yard to the right.
Most of the houses on the street are surrounded by chain-link fences. Many of the fences were locked with padlocks and Beware of Dog signs were posted on them.
A gang has tagged walls in the area.
No information has been released about suspects. Komin said it has not been determined whether the shooting was gang-related and whether the suspects were on foot or in a vehicle.
In January, two teens were injured in a drive-by shooting along Cannon Avenue, which is just south of McNew Court.